Justine Musk: Reflecting on Her Life with Elon Musk
Justine Musk, Elon Musk’s first wife and the mother of his five children, has a wealth of stories and insights about her life with the now-iconic businessman. In a TEDxUIUC talk titled “Visionaries are People Who Can See in the Dark,” she opened up about their early college days, their relationship, and the unique aspects of living with someone whose ambition knows no bounds.
A Humble Beginning
Justine met Elon when she was 18 and he was 19, and their relationship started with persistence. “Every time he called to ask me out, I would decline,” she recalls. This cycle continued until they eventually moved in together. Their life together began in a modest apartment shared with three other people and a dachshund that, as Justine humorously recalls, “was not house trained.” Despite their rise to fame and wealth later on, she quips, “The dachshund still was not house trained.”
Elon’s Character and Ambition
Justine provides a candid look at Elon’s personality. She notes that, despite his later success, he always preferred to list himself as an “engineer” on forms rather than “CEO,” underscoring his humble roots. Even as his fame grew, he stuck to simple clothing choices, often insisting that he couldn’t “look cool or hip” because he needed to “look like an engineer,” even when a stylist tried to give him a makeover.
One of the more striking moments in Justine’s talk is when she reflects on Elon’s statement about being “prepared to sacrifice everything” to launch a rocket into orbit. “I wanted to go back in time and tell him, ‘Have you seen my parents’ basement?’” she says with her usual wit, highlighting the challenges they faced in those early years when Elon’s ambitions were all-consuming.
Darkness and Visionary Minds
Justine also reflects on a moment when Elon was portrayed in The Simpsons as a character who suggested, “someone like Elon must have a darkness in his soul.” This comment resonated with her, especially as a dark fantasy author. “Darkness doesn’t mean evil… it can mean anything that hasn’t yet been brought to the light,” she explains. For Justine, this perspective on Elon’s drive and motivations helps explain how someone with such unconventional thinking can push boundaries in ways most people can’t comprehend.
Living with a Visionary
Throughout her talk, Justine provides a humorous yet insightful perspective on what it was like to live with someone whose ambition was far beyond the ordinary. “Visionaries take their passion and put themselves on the line unlike anybody else,” she says, and it’s clear from her anecdotes that Elon Musk was no different. Their journey together, marked by both challenges and triumphs, offers a glimpse into the life of one of the world’s most ambitious visionaries.
Justine’s reflections serve as a reminder of the sacrifices, complexities, and unique experiences that come with supporting someone with such monumental aspirations. Her ability to laugh at the hardships, while also recognizing the greatness in Elon’s vision, offers a fascinating look into the personal side of the man who would become a global icon.
